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Monday, December 10, 2012

Six DRM-configured Transmitters to be installed in India as part of transition to digital

India's public radio and television broadcaster Prasar Bharati has
issued orders for six Nautel NX Series 300 kW medium wave transmitters
configured for DRM30 transmission. The purchase is part of All India
Radio's (AIR) plans to upgrade facilities throughout India to DRM30
digital broadcasting The DRM digitisation implementation will allow
AIR to also use alternative platforms such as podcasting, SMS,
webcasting and mobile service. AIR also intends to offer a 24-hour
news channel along with other programming. Additional services such as
Interactive Text Transmission and disaster warning alerts are also
planned.

Hal Kneller, Nautel Regional Sales Manager – Europe and Africa. "As a
member of the DRM Consortium executive and steering boards, it thrills
me that Nautel has been chosen to bring India into the age of digital
radio with this technology. Not only will listeners hear high quality
sound on AM broadcasts, they will also enjoy many of the multi- media
features that DRM has to offer. Millions of DRM receivers will now be
in demand!"

"What a tremendous opportunity for the radio industry in India," said
Peter Conlon, Nautel President and CEO. "Prasar Bharati and All India
Radio have embarked on a project that will bring great flexibility and
a world of possibilities to broadcasting in India. We look forward to
working with AIR as they proceed with their digital deployment ."

Yogendra Pal, Hon. Chairman of the DRM India National Chapter, was
also very pleased with the announcement: "This is excellent news and
an important milestone in the prestigious digitisation initiative of
the Indian Government and All India Radio. With the commissioning of
these transmitters, radio listeners in the country will not only get
extra content but also be able to enjoy a high quality service on MW
".

His words were echoed by Ruxandra Obreja, Chair of the DRM Consortium,
who welcomed this grand-scale development; "When all these
transmitters are on air, with the extra content that will be made
available, India will be probably the largest digital radio country in
the world. This roll-out should encourage chipset and receiver
manufacturers to produce more DRM receivers. The Prasar Bharati
announcement re-affirms All India Radio's commitment to digital
technologies and proves that DRM has come of age".